Sikh Regiment’s battalion was despatched on Oct 27

Seventy-five years ago, on this day, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army launched an operation to save the Kashmir Valley from Pakistan-backed raiders. It was a Herculean task, an airlift like never attempted before.

In five days — from October 27 to 31, 1947 — the Army had established three battalions in Srinagar. Battles continued for months not just in the Valley, but for Zojila Pass as it was the only route to Ladakh.

The operation against Pakistan-backed raiders was planned on October 26 and launched on the morning of October 27, just minutes after Lord Louis Mountbatten, then Governor General of India, accepted the accession of J&K with India.

The defence headquarters worked non-stop from October 26 amid sketchy details about the enemy’s strength. In the early hours of October 27, more than 100 civilian aircraft and Royal IAF planes were mobilised to fly troops, equipment and supplies to Srinagar.

Led by Lt Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, the first battalion of Sikh Regiment was despatched. It was tasked to secure the airfield in Srinagar and drive away tribesmen.

At 10:30 am on October 27, the first plane landed.

Lt Colonel Rai found the enemy was at Baramulla, the strategic bottleneck which opens into Kashmir Valley. The raiders were armed with guns and mortars. In the course of battle, Lt Colonel Rai was killed earning him a Mahavir Chakra.

“Jinnah was getting impatient. His private secretary, Kurshid Ahmad, was arrested in Srinagar and sent back to Pakistan,” VP Menon, then Secretary of States (Union Home Secretary), writes in his book “Story of Integration of Indian States”.

He debunks the allegation of the airlift being pre-planned. On October 24, information trickled in that tribesmen had seized Muzaffarabad. Prior to this, there was no plan of sending Indian forces to Kashmir.

Courtesy: The Tribune India : 27th Oct , 2022